Author Archive
Posted on February 8, 2012 - by Doug
Jiu Jitsu News
It looks like we’ve been getting some new students around the network which is awesome. I’d like to welcome the new people to the network.
One of the great things about the network is, how helpful people are with passing on the knowledge. It’s one of the things that attracted me to this network in the first place.
If you’re new, welcome, if you are thinking of joining, just get your butt into one of our locations to try a class. You won’t regret it!
This is a great time to start training at a Royce Gracie Jiu Jitsu Network affiliate in New England.
Royce Gracie will be here to teach a seminar on Saturday May 19th, so reserve the date. Detail will be posted soon!
Posted on February 3, 2012 - by Doug
Royce Gracie Seminar
Saturday, May 19th, reserve the date!
We’ll be posting details soon.
The UFC Hall of Fame legend will be coming to Connecticut to conduct a seminar in Glastonbury. Stay tuned for session times, and price.
I will post the details soon.
Posted on November 16, 2011 - by Doug
Gracie Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Jim Hughes in Glastonbury 11/22 @ 7:15 p.m.
Royce Gracie black belt Jim Hughes will be at the Glastonbury school on Tuesday 11/22 at 7:15 p.m.
Jim has a long history with Royce, and its always a treat to have him come to Glastonbury. His insight to Gracie Jiu Jitsu is amazing, and its an opportunity you shouldn’t miss.
Bring a friend, bring your kimono, bring your questions, and most of all bring a willingness to learn.
Jim will help you bring your game to a different place.
All of our students should feel welcome, and I encourage you to bring a friend. If you know someone that has been saying they would like to try it, but they never show up, what better opportunity than this as an introduction to the gentle art?
Jim has taught many students and introduced many people to the beauty of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. He is one of the best instructors around.
November 22, next Tuesday, at 7:15. Be there, it won’t cost you anything, and you have everything to gain.
Posted on September 1, 2011 - by Doug
Power is back at the Glastonbury location!
Power is back at the Glastonbury location. Friday night we begin our normal schedule. In Glastonbury we are starting training with gi on Saturday mornings, and Tuesday nights. Fridays will remain no gi (actually when winter comes you can wear the gi on Friday nights if you like).
For those that have no power still or have had to endure hardship because of Irene, come get your frustration out on the mat. Bring a friend, introduce them to Jiu Jitsu, and we can all comiserate together.
Posted on August 30, 2011 - by Doug
Due to power outage, no class on Tuesday 8/30 in Glastonbury
Due power outages in Glastonbury resultant from Irene, class will be canceled in Glastonbury tonight.
At this writing Glastonbury is 78% without power.
There should be class at 7:30 in West Hartford so please don’t forego training.
Posted on August 15, 2011 - by Doug
Royce Gracie Open Seminar and Championship Tournament
The seminars and tournament were a lot of fun, very educational, and everything ran very smoothly.
Saturday morning we got an early start. The setup began around 6 a.m. and we were ready to go for the 8 a.m. seminar.
It was unusually early for a seminar, but those that helped set up were sweating before it began. Many thanks to those that put the effort in on setting up, especially Rick, katie, and Paul.
The was plenty of mat space, and the venue offered a spacious environment.
Royce started with the self defense portion, which is ultimately the heart of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Starting on the feet, working some stand-up defensive technique to warm-up, the details were great. All techniques were based on leverage and they simply work.
We moved on to the clinch, and a leverage based takedown. Some awesome details on a choke followed by some alternate submissions completed a great, logical sequence of effective techniques. Royce’s teaching style and the effective techniques he teaches make him one of the best teachers I’ve ever had the honor to train with, if not the best.
The second session was primary ground work. Starting with guard passes, and finishing with a great foot lock combination. All the techniques again in logical sequence completing a decision tree that offers flexibility based on variables of the situation.
A number of people received promotions by Royce and all were recipients of knowledge that is priceless.
The tournament format was inline with the normal seminar format. Normally after the instruction portion of a seminar is complete, participants spar. In this case the sparing was a single elimination absolute submission only tournament, winner receiving a $1000 prize. there were some great matches, and the participants all seemed happy win or lose. There were representatives of all belt levels white belts through black belts. The lower ranks were mostly eliminated early on but some made it into the later rounds. The winner was Dan Simler, a black belt out of Massachusetts. He actually finished for the win in the championship match with the final achilles lock Royce taught as the last technique before the tournament. His technique was smooth, and spectators saw some great jiu jitsu. In the final match, a smaller opponent beat a bigger, stronger foe, with technique In a 20 minute match that was all action. Truly fun to watch.
All participants made a good showing, and note, the championship match was a black belt vs a purple belt, which shows as Royce says “the belt only covers 2″ of your ass, your are responsible for the rest”.
In all the seminars were great, and the tournament was a great experience.
Posted on August 13, 2011 - by Doug
Congratulations to Katie!
Katie, our coach in Boston was promoted to purple belt by Royce today. It was well deserved, she is an inspiration to me. Anyone that has reached that level knows the dedication it takes, and it is no small thing. I know I speak for all the other coaches when I say we are proud of our jiu jitsu sister.
Posted on August 12, 2011 - by Doug
Royce seminars / tounament tomorrow. Be a good uke.
Don’t forget the seminars/tournament tomorrow. First seminar is early, 8 a.m. second is at 10:30 a.m. wearing gi for seminars is recomended, wear gi or no gi for tourney. Tourney starts at 1 p.m.
Be a good uke when you train. Found a great video showing Royce’s brother doing a demo with a young yellow belt that illustrates being a good uke:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ag1Wx_3MaE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
See you on the mat tomorrow, don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the best teachers I’ve had the privilege to train with in over 20 years in the martial arts.
Posted on July 27, 2011 - by Doug
Good Uke
Why good uke? The more I learn about Gracie
Jiu Jitsu, the more I understand why I need to be a good uke. I find myself
telling students frequently, “you need to be a good uke”.
How can I be a good uke, if I don’t
know what uke is? Essentially for our purposes we’ll say uke is a training
partner or the one “receiving” the technique (or we could say
the one on the receiving end of the technique).
In Gracie Jiu Jitsu, it is important
to understand the technique and the leverage required to execute the technique.
This understanding is acquired through repetition. The best way to learn
the technique is to drill it, over and over. The best way to master
it, is to continue to drill it over and over. Resistance is important
too. When we learn the technique, we drill the technique. Then we introduce
resistance. This is the reality of Jiu Jitsu. The technique must work against
a resisting opponent otherwise it is useless.
To further break this down, we learn
the technique, and drill the technique with NO resistance. This does not
mean absolutely no resistance, what this means is, as the uke you need
to react in a natural way, and provide enough resistance for your partner
to execute the technique. How many times have you trained with someone,
and he/she just flops around like a dead fish when you try to execute the
technique or he/she resists so much it turns into a sparing match? Jiu
Jitsu is what I like to call, an art of opportunity. In other words, we
train and drill a technique as an answer for a particular situation.
Lets look at the oopa escape from the
mount. When learning and practicing the uke needs to provide the means
to trap the arm and leg that will allow you to execute the oopa (hip bump).
If the uke, does not allow you to trap the leg/arm, perhaps a different
technique should be used (hip escape?), but this defeats the purpose of
this particular drill. We are supposed to be practicing the oopa. As the
uke, it is your job to allow your partner to practice the drill, and he/she
is expected to allow you to practice the drill when he/she is uke.
When resistance is added, it is gradual.
We begin by providing some additional resistance, and start to look at
what we think we can do to defeat the technique. Full resistance is eventually
added in drills and sparing. This is not to be confused with drilling for
technique. If the drill is for technique the goal is repetition and resistance
is just enough to allow the person to execute the technique. If the drill
is a “live” drill, a higher degree of resistance is expected.
When drilling for technique, or “live”
drills, both people should be getting something out of it. As with everything
else in life, you get out of it, what you put into it. If my partner is
drilling the oopa technique, as a good uke, I am helping him by giving
feedback on the execution of the technique and by trying to examine the
finer points of what is happening when the technique is executed. If I
fully understand the technique from both sides, it will help me to defeat
or counter it, so I need to pay attention to the details.
There is a time and a place for everything.
An uke that resists all the time forcing you to use different techniques
than what you are supposed to be drilling is not doing you a favor. We
all like to bust chops, and at one time or another we have all been a “bad
uke”. As we mature in our Jiu Jitsu practice, the value of the drills
becomes clear. The more you drill the technique, the better your timing
will become. Both technique and resistance have a place in the training
and development of your expression of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. So be a good uke,
and I’ll see you on the mat.
Posted on July 20, 2011 - by Doug
Looking forward to Royce seminar & tournament!
This started out to be a simple, standard seminar, but it has Morphed into something with a life of its own. I’m excited at the prospect of seeing Royce and seeing some potentially great grappling matches. I always enjoy seeing Royce, let’s face it, he’s pretty much the reason any of us got involved with jiu jitsu. I enjoy the seminars, and I always pick up new techniques, details, and tricks. I love watching good jiu jitsu matches. Add it all up, and this is a win win for me… I hope to see everyone there, old friends, new friends, and friends I haven’t met yet…
:)
